This year has truly, madly, deeply* been one of the craziest that I, my family, and my heart has ever seen. I've experienced more heartbreak this year than most of those that came before it and I've been knocked to my knees, in tears, by generosity and love in measures that have risen to meet the height of my pain. *Truly, Madly, Deeply by Savage…
Hello friends! Here is a link to the most recent episode of Shadows on the Sound, a podcast hosted by authors Camela Thompson and Z.D. Gladstone. (They're a lot of fun!) I visited their show and discussed the dark-yet-beautiful film Pan's Labyrinth. Warning: There are many spoilers for the movie's plot, as we discuss the film in details! There might also be a bit of adult…
I come from the place of ice blue mountains that enclose me like crowned walls. I dream of green forests that smell of possibility. I am the child who found warmth under a gold lamp as I huddled with musty books beneath a gray cloud blanket. I come from a house filled with singing, shouting. Laughter in one breath, tears in the next. …
It's a calm contentment, this feeling inside. (That isn't exactly the vibe my picture is giving you. I was striking a confident pose at the time) The calm contentment comes later, now that the emotional confetti has settled from the air. The third novel waits alongside its brothers in my home's Harry Potter closet (we have a fantastic cupboard under the stairs!) nestled in its box,…
“I was really intimidated by you.” A friend once told me this. Actually, a lot of people have said it. I guess I make a killer first impression that says: “I’ve figured out how to do life. I’ve got my act together. I’m beautiful and powerful and intelligent.” Heh. On my good days, maybe. Let’s not forget that I also studied acting in college (full confession…
Fireworks and trumpets! The day has arrived when I get to share this new book with you! By way of introduction, I thought want to share the mosaic of my life experiences that helped compose this story. My main character, Liam Finley, is a boy looking for his courage, trying to do what's right, and growing to understand what it means to be a man. Events in my…
Here it is! This is the glorious, beautiful cover design that will grace the front of my newest novel, which will be available in both print and ebook on October 15, 2015! Isn't it beautiful? My cover designer, Amalia Chitulescu is a very talented woman. There are many elements of the story woven into this cover design, but if I were to tell them to you,…
This woman had a tough job when the world ended. Seriously. I have the honor of interviewing the main character of the novel SUGAR SCARS today. I met Travis Norwood through our mutual fate as writers in Orson Scott Card's Literary Boot Camp. Travis has gone on to publish his first novel since then. I read it, enjoyed it, and wanted to do something fun with…
Grief is a deep pit. My whole family fell into it this year. Most recently last month. None of my friends can pull me up out of that dark place. And yet, a brave soul can climb down into the sadness with me and stand there, holding my hand and even supporting my frame so that I don't fall over. If you are someone who isn't…
Let’s start with the personal stuff. When someone asks me, Elise, for help, when they point to something I’m good at and ask if I’d be willing to donate my expertise toward launching their dreams, my answer is almost always YES. But... I’m not talking here about strangers offering to rip off my services in exchange for “experience." On the other hand, I honestly think it’s…